Valve assembly



Feb. 12, 1952 H. c. MEADOR VALVE ASSEMBLY Filed NOV. 29, 1946 ,l f j E 'IZ. 1

INVEN TOR. HORACE G. MEADOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 12, 1952 VALVE ASSEMBLY Horace C. Meador,Houston, Tex., assignor to South Houston Machine Company, South Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application November 29, 1946, Serial No. 712,798

v This invention relates to a valve assembly and has particular relation to means for adjusting the valve seal rings.

"An object of the present invention is to provide a valve assembly having a cylindrical casing with a side port and an end port, said ports being in angular relation with a slidably mounted valve in the casing provided with spaced annular seals therearound said valve being movable to one position to open said portsand to another posi tion to close the ports, said valve being so constructed that the annular seals may be adjusted to take up the wear to prevent leakage.

It is another object of the present invention to provide, in a valve assembly of the character described, a novel type of valve unit embodying a cylindrical valve body with spaced annular seals therearound and a spacer between said seals with a retainer sleeve having a threaded connection with the valve body and in abutting relation with the sealing unit whereby an endwise compressive force may be exerted against the seals to expand the same, as the seals wear, to prevent leakage.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an end View, and

Figure 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal, sectional view of the assembly showing the valve partly open in dotted lines.

In the drawing the numeral 1 designates a tubular valve casing having a side inlet port 2 and an end inlet port 3.

The side inlet port is surrounded by a tubular nipple 4 formed integrally with the valve casing and internally threaded for the connection of a pipe thereto and the end inlet port is internally threaded for the connection of a pipe to the casing.

The end of the casing l opposite the inlet port 3 is provided with external coarse threads 5 and around said threaded end and spaced therefrom there is the valve actuating hood 6 whose inner end is inwardly thickened and provided with coarse internal threads 1 which mesh with the threads 5.

The outer end of the hood 6 is provided with an inwardly extended annular flange 3 which abuts the corresponding end of the valve casing I when the valve is closed. This hood, or cap, 6 has a hand grip 9 thereon by means of which it may be turned. There is a retainer sleeve l6 WhiQh 1S fitted Within the valve casing and which 4 Claims. (Cl. 25177) is tubular in form. Its outer end is inwardly thickened and internally threaded. The sleeve Ill is rotatable relative'to'the casing I and relative to the hood, or cap s. It is maintained against endwise movement relative to said cap 5 by means of a series of anti-friction bearings H which are seated in registering'grooves in the flange 8' and in the outer end of the sleeve [0, as shown. These bearings H may be inserted through a radial opening I2 in the cap 6 and which is thereafter closed by a, threaded plug l3.

Within the retainer sleeve 10 there is acyliridrical valve body l4 whose outer end is reduced and threaded through the inwardly thickened portion of the retainer sleeve l0 and screwed onto the outer end of said 'valve body there is a re-- tainer nut IS. The outer end of the valve body I4 is extended beyond the nut I5 forming the extension l6 for the reception of a wrench by' means of which the valve body 14 may be turned relative to the retainer sleeve I 0.

The inner end of the valve body I4 i siorined shoulder l1 and the opposing end of the spacer 20.. These seals [8 and 19 are spaced a suilicient distance apart so that they will be on opposite sides of the port 2 when the valve is closed.

.. 7 When it' is desired to openthe valve the cap B'm'ay be screwed outwardly until the valve ball 21 which is seated-in a cavity in the outer end of the casing I. This'prevents the hood-orcap, 6 from becoming completely detached from the casing. The ball 2| may be introduced through an opening 22 in the cap 6 and retained in place by a screw plug 23 which is screwed into said opening 22.

When it is desired to close the valve the cap 6 may be screwed inwardly to move the valve into the position indicated in the figure.

The seals l8 and I9 will gradually wear and in case a leak develops the retainer sleeve l0 may be held stationary and a wrench applied to the extension I6 so as to screw the valve body longitudinally relative to the packing assembly to apply a compressive force to the seal rings and cause an expansion thereof to take up the wear and stop the leak. The lock nut [5 may then be screwed tightly against the outer end of the retainer sleeve in to maintain the parts against movement.

While turning the valve body [4 it is necessary that the retainer sleeve I be maintained stationary and for that purpose the outer end of the retainer sleeve is provided with the sockets 24, 24 to receive a spanner wrench whereby the retainer sleeve may be maintained against rotation.

The drawings and description are illustrative merely while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A valve assembly comprisin a cylindrical operating means, said valve including a valve body. having a shoulder at one end, a sealing assembly around the body abutting said shoulder and including annular seals around the body and a. spacer around the body between said seals and a retainer sleeve. around and having a threaded connection with the valve body and abutting the sealing assembly and having a, rotatable connection with said valve moving means.

'2. A valve assembly comprising, a cylindrical valve casing having a side port and an end port, a valve in the casing which includes annular seal rings spaced apart and. located on opposite sides of the side port when the valve is in closed position, said valve including means for applying an endwise compressive force to the seal rings to cause expansion of said rings; valve operating means including a cap having athreaded connection with the casing and a swivelling connection with the valve for moving the valve longitudinally in the casing to open or closed position a ball rotatably carried by' the casing and rotatively engageable with the inside of the cap, and means on the cap engageable with said ball upon predetermined movement of said cap in a direction to open the valve to limit movement of the cap, in saiddirection.

3. A valve assembly comprising, a cylindrical valve casing having a side port and an end port, a valve in the casing "having a seal-ing assembly thereon including annular seals arranged-to space the seals on opposite sides of theside port when the valve is closed therearound and a spacer be tween said seals, means for applying an endwise compressive force to said sealing assembly to expand the seals, valve operating means including a cap having a threaded connection with the valve casing and a swivelling connection with the valve whereby the valve may be moved to one position to open said ports and bearing means rotatably carried by the casing and rotatively engageable with the inside of said cap, said cap having an inwardly thickened portion engageable with said bearing means to limit opening movement of the operating means after the valve has reached said open position and to another position, to close the ports.

4. A valve assembly comprising, a cylindrical casing having an end port and a side port, a valve in the casing which includes a valve body having an external abutment on the inner end thereof, a sealing assembly around the body having annular seals and a spacer between the seals, a retainer sleeve around said body and having a threaded connection therewith and clamping the sealing assembly between it and said abutment, the outer end of said'body being accessible for rotation relative to the retainer sleeve whereby an endwise compressive force may be applied to the sealing assembly, a cap threaded on the valve casing and having a swivelling connection with the retainer sleeve whereby the valve may be moved longitudinally in the casing to open or closed position by the rotation of said cap said.

casing having an external recess positioned with in said cap, bearing means in said recess in rotative engagement with the inside of said cap, and said cap having an inwardly thickened portion forming a shoulder engageable with said bearing means upon movement of said cap in a direction to open the valve to limit movement of said cap in said direction.

HORACE C. MEADOR.

France of 1910 

